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MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS, 



ADOPTED AT A MEETING OV CITIZENS AT THE ROOMS OF TflE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, 

FPUDAY, JANUARY 18, 1861. 



-IVie Memorial of the Subscribers, Cifizens of the Slate of New York, respecifaUy shoicefh : ■ 
That, wliilc sliaring iu common with our fellow citizens, the general solicitude at the dancers which are noW 
threatening the peace and unity of our country, they desire to give their urgent and emphatic expression of the neces- 
sity which seems to exist for mutuaL conciliation and compromise, and without discussion as to the merits of the 
various questions at issue, believing that the perpetuity of the Union of these United States as one nation, is of vastly 
more importaucc than the establishment or rejection of this or that subject of controversy, and that the people of the 
North will approve of tlic general outline of the plan of compromise agreed upon by the Senators and Representatives 
of the Border States. 

Your memorialists humbly pray that such measures may bj speedilj'- adopted by Congress, for tlie settlemenfi 
of our present difficulties, as will embrace substantially the plan of compromise so recommended by the Representa- 
tives of the Border States, and which, they believe, will restore tranquillity and peace t6 our now distracted country j' 



Resolutions Adopted, Friday, January 18, 1861. 



I. — Resolved, That a CoWmittee be appointcil to circulate the foijjjgoiDg Memorial for signatar' 
the city, and, as far as practicable, thq.Stat^, caavassed for that purpose. 

II, — Resolved, That a Committee of our most influential citizens, irrespective of party, be appointed, with 
power to add to their number, to take charge of the memorial when signed, and forward or present thb same at 
Washington, in such manner as they may deem most judicious, using their influence for the settlement of the existing 
National difficulties. 

Ill, — Resolvsd, That a copy of this call and the proceedings of this meeting be foi'warded to eaeli of the 
Senators and Representatives of this State in Congress, and also to each of the Senators and Representatives in our 
State Legislature. 

Committee appointed by the Chairman, on the First Resolution. 

SIMEON BALDWIN^ F. S. LATUROl', TlIEOrX)SIUS BARTOW, 

NATHANIEL SANDS, JOUN R. VOORHIS, UUGII AUCIIINCLOSS, 

JACOB ANTHONY, .Tn. B. HENRY IIAIGHT, SAMUEL HALL. 

Committee appointed by the Chairman, on the Second Resolution. 



A. A. LOW, 
LUTHER BRADISH, 
PELETIAU PERIT, 
I'ETER OOOPER, 
WILLIAM E. DODGE, 
HENRY A. SMYTIIE, 
■WILLIAM IL ASPINWALL, 



WILLIAM A. BOOTH, 
E. E. MORGAN, 
EDAVIN HOYT, 
R. C. ROOT, 
JAMES IIARPEP., 
ROYAL PHELPS, 



SAMUEL D. BABCOCK, 
WM. \Y. DE FOREST, 
E. II. GILLILAN, 
HENRY A. IIURLBURT, 
■WILSON G. HUNT, 
WALDEN PELL. 



list's 1 



WILLIAM A. BOOTH, Chairman of (lie Meeting. 
SIMEON BALDWIN, Secretary of the Meeting/. 




-04 ..^ (^ 



E4^ 
REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE 

TO A MEETING AT THE ROOMS OF THE CHAMBER OP COMMERCE, 

Saturday, January 26, 1861. 

The Special Committee to whom was assigned the duly of digesting and prcscntiug a proper basis of action for the 
Committee charged with the presentation to Congress of the Memorial of Citizens of New York, praying that such 
measures may be adopted by Congress as will restore tranquillity and peace to our now distracted country, beg leave 
respectfully to Report, — 

That, since the last meeting of the Memorial Committoc, a legislative printed Document has been received, stated 
to embrace Propositions for an adjustment of pending difficulties between the Northern and Southern States, agreed 
upon by a Committee of the Border States, including Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, and North 
Carolina, from the South; and New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, from the North. These Prop- 
ositions contemplate both Acts of Legislation and Amendments of the Constitution, and which, with some modifi- 
cations and additions, are as follows, and which the Special Committee adopt as i)art of this their Report, which 
they submit for the consideration of the Memorial Committee, and respectfully rceominoud for tiieir adoption as the 
basis of their action under the Memorial, and in furtherance of its objects : 



"JOINT RESOLUTION" 
Proposing certain amendments to the Constitution of the United States. 

Whereas serious and alarming dissensions have arisen between the northern and southern States concerning the 
right, and security of the rights of the slaveholding States, and especially their rights in the common Territory of the 
United States; and whereas it is eminently desirable and proper that those dissensions, which now threaten the very 
existence of this Union, should be permanently quieted and settled by constitutional provisions, which shall do equal 
justice to all sections, and thereby restore to the people that peace and good will which ought to prevail between all 
the citizens of the United States : Therefore— 

Resolved hy the Senate and HuitiiC of Hcprcseniatives of the United Slates of America in Congress assemlled, 
iico-ihirds of both Souses concurring, That the following articles he, and are liereby, proposed and submitted as 
amendments to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of said 
Constitution, when ratified by conventions of three-fourths of the several States: 

Article 1. That Congress shall liave no power to legislate touching persons held to service or lal^or in places 
under its exclusive jurisdiction within the limits of States which have made cessions to the United States, without the 
consent of the State or States making such grants. 

Article 2. That in all the present Territory of the United States, situate north of latitude thirty-six degrees 
thirty minutes, slavery or involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, shall be prohibited while such 



Territory shall remain under territorial government. Tiiat in all the present Territory of the United States south of 
said line, ijeithcr Congress, nor any territorial legislature, shall hereafter pass any law abolishing or prohibiting, or in 
any manner interfering witli African slavery ; and when any such Territory north or south of said line, within such 
boundaries as Congress may prescribe, in any area of sixty thousand square miles, shall contain a population entitling 
it to one member of Congress, and shall apply for admission, as a State, into the Union, it shall come in on an equality 
with the other States, with or without slavery, as its constitution may determine. 

Article 3. That the laws for the suppression of the African slave trade ought to be made effectual, and ought 
to be thoroughly executed ; and that the importation of slaves from abroad into tlie United States or its Territories is 
prohibited perpetually. 

Article 4. Congress shall have no power to prohibit the^eraoval or transportation of persons held to service or 
labor from any State in which such service or labor is recognized by law to another State in which such service or 
labor is so recognized. 

Article 5. Congress shall have no power to regulate, abolish, or control withia the States, the relations estab- 
lished or recognized by the law of any State respecting persons held to service or labor by the laws thereof. 

Article 6. That no Tcrritoiy shall bo acquired by the United States, without the consent of three-fourths of the 
members of the Senate. 

And whereas, also, besides those causes of dissension embraced in the foregoing amendments proposed to the Consti- 
tution of the United States, there arc others whiah come within the jurisdiction of Congress, and may be 
remedied by its legislative power -and whereas it is the desire of Congress, as far as its power estends, to remove 
all just cause for the popular discontent and agitation which now disturb the peace of the country, and threaten 
the stability of its institutions : Therefore—- 



1. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asseml 
That the laws now in force for the recovery of fugitive slaves are in strict pursuance of the plain and mandatory 
provisions of the Constitution, and have been sanctioned as valid and constitutional by the judgment of the Supreme 
Court of the United States ; that the slaveholding States are entitled to the faitliful observance and execution of those 
laws, and that they ought not to be repealed or so modified or changed as to impair their efficiency ; and that laws 
ought to be made for the punishment of those who attempt, by rescue of tlie slave or other illegal means, to hinder or 
defeat the due execution of said laws. 

'2. That all State laws whiuh conflict with the fugitive slave acts, or any other constitutional acts of Congress, 
or which in their operation impede, hinder, or delay the free course and due execution of any of said acts, are nu!l 
and void by the plain provisions of the Constitution of the United States, and we respectfully and earnestly recommend 
to the several States which have enacted them their immediate repeal. 

3. That the act of the eightcentli of September, eighteen hundred and fifty, commonly known as " The fugitive 
slave law" ought to be amended so as to provide for its more complete and efficient operation, and that such amend- 
ments should provide, among other things, for the prevention of kidnapping under it, and to equalize the fees of the 
commissioner mentioned in the eighth section thereof. 

4. That an act be passed directing that the demand for the surrender of fugitives from justice or from service or 
labor be made to the United States District Judge of the State and District in which such fugitive may be found, 
thereby to make tlie right of surrender, in every case, a judicial question, and thus secure justice and uniformity of 
decision. 



5. That au act be passed punishing marauding expeditions from anj State or Territory of this Union against tba, 

people of any other State or Territory, and also punishing the setter on foot or organization of such expedition;;,' jr 

making prejiarations therefor. 

All which is respectfully submitted. 

A. A. LOW, 
L. BRADISH, 
W. E. DODGE, 
ROYAL PHELPS, 
WM. A. BOOTH. 



At a meeting of tlic Committee of citizens at the rooms of the Chainber of Commerce, New York, Saturday, 
January 26, 1861, the preceding Report was unanimously adopted, and a Committee, consisting of thirty gentlemen, 
was authorized to proceed to Washington and urge the said llcport upon the consideration of Congress. 



^ 



A. A. LOW, Chairman. 

J. SMITH ROMANS, Secretary. 



Ntw York, January 2C, 1801. 



OOWiviiTTEE ON MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS. 

MCW YORK, J.WUARY 26, 1801. 



LUTHER BR.VDISll, 

E. II. GU.LILAX, 
.l.\MI':s HAItl'EH, 

I). 1U;XRY IIAIGIIT, 
WII^SOX G. HUNT, 
HEXKY A. UUIILBUT, 
K. L. KENNEDY, 
DANIEL LORD, 
A. A. LOW, 

F. S. LATnROr, 



joiiiT J, rnELi'.s, 

ROYAL PIIELP.S, 
GEORGE S. ROBBIXS, 
R. C. ROOT, 
NATIIAXIEL SANPS, 
HENRY A. SMYTIIE, 
JONATHAN STURGES, 
I'. P. AVINSTON, 
llEXRY YOUN<;, 
K. R. WET.\IORE, 
E. E, MORGAN, 



HUGH AUCIHXCLOSS, 
W.U Y. BRADY, 
STEWART BROWN, 
WILLIAM A. BOOTH, 
THEODOSIUS BARTOW, 
SAMUEL D. BABCOCK, 
PETER COOPER, 
WILLIAM E DODGE, 
JOHN C. GREEN, 
JAME-i GALLATIN, 



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